North Korea will reportedly face a more serious food shortage this winter due to self-imposed border closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Washington Post reported on Sunday that winter is typically a volatile time in North Korea, which struggles with chronic food shortages, and it's more concerning this year as the border lockdown worsened the shortage of food, supplies and cash. 

The report said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has even imposed new measures that have further restricted internal economic activity. 

The daily quoted analysts saying that despite flood damage this summer, the crop yield this fall was not severely affected by bad weather. 

However, it added that the overall food shortage persists, and even international aid groups have left the country during the lockdown.

[Photo : KBS News]